Summer Collegiate

NorthPaws Name Francis Head Coach

Published

3 years ago

March 31, 2023

Dugout Wire Service

KAMLOOPS, BC—The Kamloops NorthPaws didn’t have to look far when searching for their newest head coach.
Original article written by Larry Read.

Just days after learning that Brian Anderson had taken a job with NCAA Div I Northwestern University (Illinois), The NorthPaws have named Keith Francis as the third head coach in the teams history.

Francis and Anderson have been working with the Pima Community College Aztecs (National Junior College Athletics Association) in Arizona. Both were looking to come north to Kamloops for the Westcoast League season in early June. Francis had committed to being Anderson’s assistant. He was Anderson’s coach in high school.

“I am looking forward to the coming season,” he says. “My teams are aggressive and play the right way. I never play the other team. If you play the game and play the right way, usually good things come your way. It’s my intent for the NorthPaws to play that way too.”

Francis is currently the assistant coach with Pima. A number of the players on Aztecs roster had been recruited by Anderson to play this summer for the NorthPaws already.

“It will make the job easier (familiarity with the players),” he says. “I will continue to implement a lot of things that we have here. I know those players’ strong points and weak points. We have a couple of pitchers coming up which will be very important. “

The newest NorthPaws skipper has a solid baseball background. His resume includes coaching at Maple Woods Community College (1997-1998), third place in the 1998 Junior College World Series at Grand Junction, CO. Canyon del Oro High School (2000), Assistant Coach, CDO won the 5A State Championship. Canyon del Oro High School (2001-2004), Head Coach, CDO won the 5A State Championship in 2002. Pima Community College (2005-2006), Assistant Coach.

In addition, he was an assistant coach at the University of Arizona (2007-2010) where they made Regionals three of the four years and made it to the Super Regionals in 2008 where they lost to the University of Miami.

“We are going to approach the West Coast League aggressively,” Francis adds. “We will steal a lot of bases, do a lot of hit and runs. That is West Coast baseball. That is the way we will play.”

Francis is looking forward to coaching players that he normally doesn’t see from the West Coast of North America.

‘I can’t wait to get there (to Kamloops) and see the fan base and meet them,” he adds. “As a player having fans behind you makes it fun to come to the ballpark.”

NorthPaws co-owner Norm Daley says, ““We’re really excited to be able to move on so quickly with Keith’s hire. We know that Keith has a wealth of experience and a great knowledge of players and are looking forward to another great NorthPaws season.”

Francis hopes to be in Kamloops at the end of May or early June. His arrival depends on how deep his Pima team goes in the National College World Series. They are currently ranked in the top 20 and have won 14 games in a row.

In the meantime, he will be reaching out to players who have already committed to the NorthPaws this summer and will be securing at least one assistant coach.

The North Paws went 26-27 in their inaugural West Coast League season (2022) under head coach Cole Armstrong. They wound up third in the North Division. Kamloops opens up their 2023 season Tuesday June 2nd in Victoria against the Harbour Cats. Their home opener at Dearborn Ford Field at Norbrock Stadium is Tuesday June 6th when the Portland Pickles come to town.

Ticket information and the complete schedule is available on the NorthPaws website: www.northpawsbaseball.ca.

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Summer Collegiate

Victoria HarbourCats – Five HarbourCats Selected in 2026 MLB Draft

Published

7 mins ago

July 14, 2026

Dugout Wire Service

Owen Clyne drew the eye of the Phillies with a strong season at George Mason. (Photo courtesy of George Mason University Athletics)

Victoria, B.C. – It’s the most exciting time of year for hopeful baseball prospects! The Major League Baseball draft occurred over July 11-12, and multiple former/current HarbourCats found themselves selected by a number of professional clubs.

The following Cats were drafted in the 2026 MLB Draft:

Will Zielinski (RHP) – 20th round, 606th overall (Detroit Tigers) – 2026 HarbourCat
Cody Howard (RHP) – 13th round, 376th overall (Washington Nationals) – 2023 HarbourCat
Owen Clyne (SS) – 15th round, 459th overall (Philadelphia Phillies) – 2025 HarbourCat
Carson Cormier (RHP) – 16th round, 492nd overall (Toronto Blue Jays) – 2024 HarbourCat
Cade Rusch (RHP) – 19th round, 576th overall (Detroit Tigers) – 2024 HarbourCat

Will Zielinski made a strong first impression in his first WCL appearance on July 8. A local product of Victoria, Zielinski pitched two innings in relief against the Bend Elks in which he struck out five batters and solidifying himself as a crucial part of the 5-0 win.

Cody Howard was a member of a memorable 2023 HarbourCats squad, and was a lethal bullpen arm during his summer in Victoria. In 17 innings split across nine relief appearances, Howard struck out 27 batters and maintained a 3.12 ERA.

Owen Clyne, a HarbourCats infielder last summer, enjoyed a fruitful 2026 season with George Mason University. A consistent starting shortstop in his senior year, Clyne kept up a .335 average and hit nine homers with George Mason, earning himself a 15th round selection by Philadelphia.

Carson Cormier had a monster year with the Cats in 2024. The 6’6 righty boasted a sparkling 1.35 ERA over the span of 11 appearances with 36 strikeouts. In his most impressive start of that ’24 season in which he was named a WCL All-Star, Cormier went five hitless innings while earning seven K’s.

Rounding out the list of draft picks is Cade Rusch. The son of former Major League southpaw Glendon Rusch, Cade was another member of the 2024 HarbourCats team alongside Cormier. Rusch made 21 appearances on the mound for the Bellarmine Knights this past season, holding a record of 3-2 with a 2.16 ERA

Congratulations to these current and former HarbourCats selected in the 2026 MLB Draft!

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Summer Collegiate

Victoria HarbourCats – Team Effort Leads to Series Win in Kamloops

Published

2 days ago

July 12, 2026

Dugout Wire Service

Kamloops B.C. – The HarbourCats brought the house down in a 12-run victory over the Kamloops Northpaws, putting up a dozen runs for the second time in a row and taking the series for themselves.

WCL All-Star Erik Rico (Fresno State) was back on the bump for another successful start on a sunny Sunday afternoon. The California native powered through a three-inning stalemate in which both sides were held scoreless, allowing just two hits and picking up six strikeouts.

BOX SCORE

Though held hitless in the first third of the ballgame, the HarbourCats found their stride in the top of the fourth inning. San Jose State slugger Rohne Klein delivered the first blow in the form of an RBI double, before he and teammate Logan Shepherd (Mercer) bounded home on a triple by the speedy Dillon Lopez (St. Mary’s).

Victoria took advantage of the Northpaws’ lack of a counterattack with another swift strike in the fifth. Bryan Bradshaw (UCSD) hit his second single of the game to drive in Cameron Chee-Aloy (Illinois), followed by RBI knocks from both Logan Shepherd and Jacob Silva (UTSA).

Bryan Bradshaw has been a strong all-around contributor for the Cats since arriving from UCSD, and notched three hits in today’s win. (Photo by JPM Photography)

Spencer Kratt (San Jose State) took up the torch from Rico in the fourth, holding off Kamloops until the lower half of inning six when a solo homer provided the first run for the Northpaws. Unfazed by this minor blemish in the face of a strong Victoria advantage, Kratt secured three groundouts in a row to end the inning.

The Cats, in retaliation to the home crew’s sting in the sixth, roared back with the power of teamwork. A few patient walks set the stage for a pair of singles from Michael Rodda (Palomar) and Cameron Chee-Aloy, who swiftly turned a 6-1 lead into a 9-1 lead with three frames left to be played.

When the Northpaws conceded another scoreless attempt at the plate, Victoria returned hungry for more. A plethora of baserunners confounded the Kamloops pitching staff, and another three runs crossed the plate before inning’s end. After all, why not make it an even dozen?

Tate Collins (Arkansas State) ran into some trouble in the bottom of the eighth when a walk and a single amplified the ensuing home run into a three-bagger. Nathan Mueller (Texas A&M Corpus Christi) was summoned to finish off the inning, and ended up holding on through the ninth to bring the game to a triumphant close.

WCL STANDINGS

With this series win under their belts, the HarbourCats will return to Vancouver Island to enjoy the Showpass 2026 West Coast League All-Star Festival presented by Canadian Club. You should too!

Single game tickets for all HarbourCats games are now on sale at http://harbourcats.com/tickets. Season tickets, 12-pack and 32-pack game vouchers may also be bought online or by stopping by the HarbourCats office at 101-1814 Vancouver Street.

GET YOUR ALL-STAR TICKETS BEFORE THEY ARE GONE! Tickets for the 2026 WCL All-Star Home Run Derby (featuring former Blue Jay Kevin Pillar) and the West Coast League All Star Game on July 14-15 are selling fast. Get yours today! Each event is now on sale separately, or grab the package deal for both and save a few bucks at http://harbourcats.com/tickets! Or call the office at 778-265-0327 to order by phone.

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Summer Collegiate

Victoria HarbourCats – Cats Shake Down Northpaws for 13 Runs to Tie Series

Published

3 days ago

July 11, 2026

Dugout Wire Service

Victoria, B.C. – Victoria bounced back hard to stomp the Kamloops Northpaws 13-3 tonight, knotting the series up at 1-1.

The HarbourCats were off to the races early in this one! Victoria hitters patiently drew three walks in the top of the second, and singles from Riley Kwak (Bossier Parish) and Jacob Silva (UTSA) drove in three runs for the Cats. A quick start, and a much-needed buffer for a visiting team looking to rebound from last night’s loss.

BOX SCORE

Kamloops swung back in the home half of the third with an RBI single, but the HarbourCats brought the hammer back down immediately. Riley Kwak made it to third on a double-steal, creating an opportunity to dash home on a groundout before Logan Shepherd (Mercer) bashed a homer to widen the lead.

Logan Shepherd’s homer in the fourth put the Cats well in front. (Photo by JPM Photography)

The visiting team’s onslaught would proceed throughout the middle innings. Riley Kwak and Logan Shepherd continued their dazzling individual performances with an RBI single each in the fifth frame, and Kwak came back for a monstrous three-run homer in the sixth. A trio of consecutive three-run innings gave the Cats a robust 11-run lead to work with after the first two thirds of the game.

The Northpaws strung some singles together to score twice in the bottom of the sixth, only to suffer through a long seventh frame where Logan Shepherd scored on a wild pitch. The scoring quieted down after that thirteenth run, and the HarbourCats sauntered off the diamond with a 13-3 win in game two of the series.

Riley Kwak (left) had a gem of a game tonight. The Abbotsford, B.C. product went 4/5 with five RBI and four runs scored. (Photo by JPM Photography)

As for the pitching side of things, returning arm Shea Lake (West Texas A&M) tossed a strong three-inning start in which he allowed one run on two hits. Trent Schlim (Concordia-Nebraska) toed the slab for two smooth scoreless innings and handed the ball off to Tate Collins (Arkansas State). Collins allowed two runs on four hits over the span of innings six, seven, and eight. Carter Germain (Allen CC) made his HarbourCats debut in the bottom of the ninth, nailing down a relatively easy inning to close out the win.

WCL STANDINGS

With the series now tied, the HarbourCats and Northpaws will battle for the win in the rubber match tomorrow afternoon.

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